Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla. These shortbread cookies are buttery, crumbly, and delicious!

Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla.

Don’t you love shortbread? It’s like buttery sugar melting in your mouth. Crispy, a little bit crumbly, and just sublimely butter flavored.

I like it plain, like these easy shortbread cookies, or dipped in chocolate, drizzled with caramel, made into raspberry shortbread bars, or covered with nutella ganache and streusel crumbles.

Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla.

Easy Shortbread Cookies

And do you know what? These easy shortbread cookies are made from a simple, basic dough with ingredients that you probably already have—butter, powdered sugar, flour, and throw in a smidgen of salt. That’s it. It’s like magic coming out of your mixer.

Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla.

I can’t keep shortbread in the house because if I did, I would grow as large as the side of a barn. But I do like to make it for my friends (because I secretly want them to grow as large as a barn so then I can do it too) and it’s an excellent dish to take to a pot-luck or church dinner.

Or wrap some easy shortbread cookies in cellophane and give as a gift. Or put some in a shoebox and ship it overseas to a Marine. Or just eat it all yourself. You know you want to.

Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla.
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5 from 2 votes

Easy Shortbread Cookies

Easy shortbread cookies from a simple dough of butter, powdered sugar, flour, and a little vanilla.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients 

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ tablespoon turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter for greasing pan

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
  • Cream butter in mixer on medium for a couple of minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat until almost fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Add flour and salt and mix just until blended.
  • Spread mixture into prepared pan. Dip your fingers in flour and you can spread it without sticking.
  • Place pan in refrigerator for about 20 minutes or up to two days.
  • Remove from refrigerator and score shortbread into bite-size pieces. Prick gently with fork.
  • Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon turbinado or granulated sugar over the top. Bake for about 1 hour, until golden brown. Place pan on wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

These cookies will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container. They are great for mailing to college students or anyone in the military.

Nutrition

Serving: 16bars, Calories: 186kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 80mg, Sugar: 5g
Course: Bar Cookies
Cuisine: American
Calories: 186
Keyword: easy shortbread cookies
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About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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